Case Study: Question 3-4 1
Case Study 2: Question 3-4
Shelita Ratliff
Liberty University
Business Research Methods
BUSI 600
Dr. Michael Walker
September 14, 2014
Case Study: Question 3-4 2
Describe the sampling plan. Analyze its strengths and weaknesses
In the Penton sampling plan that used for the start of Penton Media research required a
number of steps in the method to decide which the accurate population of the users to poll. First,
the process starts with a telephone questionnaire that will target the Penton Media readership
from an extremely sizeable database. Secondly, Penton Media sent out a survey by mail this time
to a different user group. Lastly, 4,000 of the final study was sent out to the decision maker, such
as managers, executives, engineers, and purchasing agents from the Penton Media database
(Cooper & Schindler, 2014).
Strengths:
The confidence level in the Penton Media was 95% with the ±4 percent of the margin of
error. When conducting a sampling plan this is common. Penton Media completed this
decision by determining that the 676 respondents of the 710 completed questionnaires
were the decision makers of their corresponding organizations. The decision makers are
also weighed according to the percentage of the overall population cell they was
assigned. Penton Media survey sample plan was constructed using 42 cells representing
seven industry groups by six job titles. The 42 cells survey allow Penton Media to
identify the individuals as the most appropriate participants in a research study. Overall,
this is a valuable method of research for recognizing the participants, because Penton
Media now knows who the decision makers are within the organizations. If the
participants were authorized to be random individuals, the database would not be true to
the purpose of the research, which aims to accommodate and influence their needs.
Case Study: Question 3-4 3
The attribute sample plan is another strength in the Penton Media sample plan. In the
Media Penton sample plan clearly defines the problem that was the cause of the research
and how Penton Media was going to conduct the decline in the research to the mitigate
experience.
Weaknesses
Penton Media approach that was adopted and conducted in this study alone was weak.
The population choice was very biased.
Describe the research design. Analyze its strengths and weaknesses.
In the case of Penton Media, the sample size is not only balanced to the size if stratum in
the population but also to the normal deviation in that stratum. According to Cooper & Schindler
(2014) it states, “Any stratification that departs from the proportionate relationship is
disproportionate stratified sampling” (Cooper & Schindler, 2014, pg.354). In the research design,
Penton Media used disproportionate stratified sampling of probability techniques, by dividing the
population from the two stratification and taken variables from two different years.
Strengths
The research design Media Penton used a balanced sample in the analysis it studies 42
cells (seven industry groups by six job titles).
The research design Media Penton used provided a better precision. A stratified sample
often needs a smaller sample size, which can save money. According to Cooper &
Schindler (2014) it states, “Most populations can be segregated into several mutually
exclusive subpopulations, or strata. The process by which the sample is constrained to
Case Study: Question 3-4 4
include elements from each of the segments is called stratified random sampling”
(Cooper & Schindler, 2014, pg.351). Stratified random can guarantee that specific groups
are characterized, even comparably, by selecting from strata list, such as (seven industry
groups by six job titles). However, stratified random can be difficult to select strat
variables; expensive.
Weaknesses
In the Penton Media research design, the variance changes too much between the
subgroups.
The simple random sample in the Penton Media research design it may require more
of an administrative effort because it a hard job to do. According to Cooper &
Schindler (2014) it states, “The simple random sample is considered a special case in
which each population element has a known and equal chance of selection” (Cooper
& Schindler, 2014, pg.349). It not possible to complete the list without the
population members and possibly uneconomical with the chance of a long time scale
and data can change.
